How Esquire Deposition Solutions Transformed Document Workflows with KODAK Info Input Solution

Esquire Deposition Solutions has been a key player in legal services and support since 1978, operating from 41 locations across the U.S. Esquire handles over 200,000 depositions annually and offers a range of administrative and legal services to litigants and law firms.

With the surge of remote work and depositions following the pandemic, Esquire experienced a significant shift toward digital records, and their need for advanced document handling reached critical levels. They were inundated with unstructured digital files—handwritten notes, court records, photos, and various digital formats—that had to be processed and organized with precision. Esquire was able to overcome these challenges by adopting KODAK Info Input Solution for intelligent document processing, which enabled them to scale their operations and achieve a higher level of efficiency and accuracy.

The Challenge: Modernizing Document Workflows for Legal Precision

Esquire was facing an increasingly complex task of processing thousands of incoming documents daily. These files come in diverse formats and conditions, ranging from photographs of incidents and handwritten notes to formal court records.

Managing the inflow, organization, and routing of each file is only one aspect of it; every paper document must be marked with an exhibit stamp on the top page with key identifiers such as the case number, exhibit number, and so forth. The same is true of every digital file; each one must have a digital exhibit sticker applied with the appropriate identifiers and then moved to a blank area of the page to prevent blocking out other information.

Esquire’s outdated software was no longer keeping pace. It had become bogged down by too many ad-hoc customizations over the years, making it nearly impossible to maintain and upgrade as the company’s service demand expanded. It simply couldn’t scale along with their business.

The software had other limitations that made user workflows time consuming and error prone:

• It required extensive manual intervention—documents had to be exported, loaded into separate exhibit sticker software, manually tagged with metadata, and then re-imported into the workflow.
• Users were siloed, making collaboration and error correction difficult.

It was clear that Esquire needed a more flexible and accessible solution that could handle a large volume of unstructured data with high precision and automate many of the manual tasks that had been slowing them down.

In their research to replace this outdated system, they connected with Kodak Alaris for insights and consultation. Esquire needed a highly scalable software solution that could grow along with their business, work seamlessly with document scanners from any manufacturer, and process digital files of varying types with a high degree of intelligent automation. They needed more than basic capture software; they needed a modern Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) platform that could take them to a higher level of productivity.

KODAK Info Input: A Scalable IDP Solution

Working alongside their technology partners at Ricoh, the team at Esquire soon learned that KODAK Info Input Solution was the right fit, and the Professional Services team at Kodak Alaris made the implementation a success that exceeded everyone’s expectations. Several factors led the team to choose KODAK Info Input, including:

• Seamless integration with existing hardware: KODAK Info Input Solution works flawlessly with Esquire’s fleet of Ricoh document scanners, simplifying the integration process across their 41 office locations.
• Centralized management with simple, concurrent user access: The platform provides centralized administration with easy-to-use browser-based workstations, enabling Esquire to scale operations across multiple offices around the country.
• High-volume document processing: The software can easily ingest documents of varying formats and complexity at high volume and automatically process and route them to the appropriate destination.
• Automatic exhibit stamping: A standout feature was the platform’s ability to handle exhibit stamping and other metadata processes directly within the workflow using customer-defined buttons on the advanced indexing form, thus eliminating the need for external tools.
• Open Intelligence™ design: The ability to leverage document AI services from industry leaders like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google is a promising capability for future-proofing the continual optimization of the company’s document processes.
• Easy integrations with CRM, ERP, accounting, and customer portal systems: Info Input has limitless integration capabilities, including case information data lookups from NetSuite, transfer of billing information, and storage of final work products in AWS.

A Seamless Transition to Greater Efficiency

The Professional Services team at Kodak Alaris worked closely with Esquire to ensure a smooth implementation of the KODAK Info Input Solution platform. They began by configuring the software to interface with Esquire’s existing CRM system, designing optimal workflows for filename scripting, folder structure, and audit trails. The team then tackled the integration with Esquire’s ERP system, Amazon S3 Image Storage, and their case file and exhibit stamping process.

By providing customized dashboards via Info Input’s Power BI integration, Esquire can now gain real-time insights into trends, bottlenecks, and optimization opportunities. The ability to design this highly interoperable system and automate previously manual workflow steps was a game changer for Esquire staff and the company’s ability to scale their operations at a much higher level of efficiency.

Dramatic Results: Speed, Accuracy, and a Higher Standard of Productivity

The adoption of KODAK Info Input Solution brought immediate results. Now, Esquire can work with their exhibit sticker applications right within the IDP platform, an improvement that immediately eliminated 10% of processing time.

Users can simply drag and drop files into a batch with a case file number. The number is added to the exhibit stamp—which is movable to the optimal location—and all files related to the case number are organized and recorded in the CRM. The new system is saving Esquire staff 10 minutes per job, a dramatic increase in efficiency, and they have seen a 10% increase in overall productivity without adding new staff.

Additionally, the accuracy of the applied metadata has been vastly improved, eliminating the need for manual data entry and handwriting interpretation. Esquire staff no longer need to switch between multiple systems; KODAK Info Input Solution brings everything into one streamlined workflow. The software’s batch manager also empowers users with complete visibility into job statuses, timelines, and batch details, enabling them to manage their workload more efficiently.

Info Input gives users everything they need to see on one screen so they can manage their jobs efficiently, and everything is automatically synchronized with the CRM. As Don Powe, Business Process Specialist at Ricoh USA, remarked, “I can’t think of any other IDP product that can handle customization the way KODAK Info Input Solution can.”

Professional Services Deliver for Long-Term Success

Scott Simpson, Director of Product Innovation at Esquire Deposition Solutions, has been very pleased by the dramatic results in efficiency and he credits the synergies between Ricoh and Kodak Alaris that got the job done quickly. "We trust our partners at Ricoh to deliver the right solutions for us, and their collaboration with Kodak Alaris has made a tremendous difference. We have an ongoing relationship with the Professional Services team at Kodak Alaris, and they provide prompt assistance and support whenever we need it. The software and its simple customizations have been a game-changer for us.”

During the implementation, the Professional Services team held regular progress and status meetings with Esquire leadership to keep everyone aligned and ensure that the system is working optimally. “I was very impressed by how knowledgeable and prepared they were. They had answers to all our questions and raised issues that we hadn’t even thought of, and that process helped lead us to where we are today. The delivery was practically flawless.”

Esquire continues to work closely with the Professional Services team at Kodak Alaris, maintaining an ongoing relationship to fine-tune their system. Regular meetings ensure the platform is always optimized, and Esquire now has the infrastructure in place to scale further as demand for their services continues to grow.

Future-Proofing Successful Document Operations

Esquire’s story highlights the importance of finding the right intelligent document processing solution. By modernizing with KODAK Info Input Solution, they solved immediate challenges and positioned themselves for long-term growth. The platform’s robust capabilities in automation, customization, and integration make it the ideal solution for streamlining legal workflows, increasing accuracy, and achieving higher levels of productivity. Esquire’s partnership with Kodak Alaris and Ricoh will continue to drive their operational success, proving that the right technology solutions can empower businesses to reach new heights.